Listing Text

Country house, now Miners'Rehabilitation Centre. c.1807 by William Stokoe, for William Burdon, altered c.1875 for Augustus Edward Burdon. Tooled ashlar with service wings of tooled-and-rnargined stone, meat store wood and wrought iron. Lakeland slate roof except for lead dome. Rectangular block with service wings on east flanking narrow yard. North (entrance) front 3 storeys, 2+2+2 bays. Ptinth, 1st floor band, 2nd floor moulded cornice, sill bands to lower floors. Pedimented projecting centre with 1875 porch and porte-cochere with grouped piers at angles; porch has panelled double doors with oversight and 3-bay returns with pilasters and plate-glass sash windows. Similar windows to main elevation, those to lower floors with cornices on moulded brackets. Moulded eaves cornice; blocking course with heavy gadrooned vases at angles; left projecting flat-roofed 2-storey link to 2-storey 5-bay kitchen wing with 12-pane sashes below 6-pane casements in flat-topped half dormers. Sing[e-storey 3-bay part with renewed sashes on far left. South front shows similar fenestration and detail except that centre of main block is a full-height 3-window bow with central French window in architrave, and dome of c.1875; all windows curved-on plan. Some ground-floor windows have external blind cases. To left, late-Cl9 single-storey 4-bay games room extension. Set back to right 2-storey service wing in two 4-bay sections; left part with ground floor sill band and eaves cornice; plainer right part, -set further back, has re-set 1773 sundial. To rear of wing attached meat store with openwork ornamental panels, rounded corners and flat roof.
INTERIOR largely c1875. Throughout this house retains most of its original doors and window shutters. Entrance hall and corridors have parquet flooring and open-well closed-string stair with turned balusters. Rich plaster cornices; painted ceiling in lounge; late Cl9 stained and painted glass in porch (the four seasons, the elements etc.) and on stair. Former drawing room has ornate plaster ceiling with shallow dome and ornate frieze, cornice and original painted decoration. Former library has fitted mahogany bookcases with glazed doors, fitted mahogany bookshelves, mahogany fire surround and overmantle with mirror. Former dining room has Ionic columns, panelling and an eighteenth century style fireplace. Service rooms and bedrooms retain other features including one original bath. Cellars with segmental vaults, wine bins dated 1830 and 13 different types of mason's mark.
Historical note: William Burdon was a noted liberal philosopher and author, Augustus Edward a high-ranking freermason (cf. memorial window in St. Cuthbert's Church, Bedlington).
Mid C-20 brick [ink range between east end of service wing and stable block (q.v.) is not of special interest.

Listing NGR: NZ2448580126

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